EL SEGUNDO, Calif.—It was no secret, by the end of last year, that Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard had never really gotten onto the same page.

Bryant is a fierce competitor, a guy who pushes teammates whether they like it or not. Howard is a much more laid-back personality, one who is not easily pushed.

Kobe Bryant has moved on from the period Dwight Howard was with the Lakers. (AP Photo)

When Howard was deciding his future in free agency this summer, his choice captivating the entire NBA universe, Bryant was part of the Lakers’ group making the pitch to keep him in LA. Howard ultimately chose Houston, completely redirecting the future of the Lakers franchise.

Now, three months later, Bryant looks back on the whole thing with decided nonchalance. At Lakers media day on Saturday, Bryant was asked about Howard’s decision and said, “Honestly, man, I really don’t give a s---. It is what it is. If he had come back, it would have been great, if he didn’t, that’s not—it is what it is.”

Point guard Steve Nash, too, was involved in the Lakers’ pitch to keep Howard. He said most around the Lakers have already put Howard’s brief and rocky tenure behind them.

“Lakers fans have such pride and passion for the history of the club,” Nash said. “I think in the end, Dwight didn’t want to be here, and they were happy to move on. There is a tremendous history here and fans are incredibly passionate. They want people who are Lakers and want to be Lakers, and obviously Dwight didn’t want to be here and I think everybody kind of moved on.”